Thursday, May 24, 2012

Happy 40th Birthday, Sandee!

Our daughter, my firstborn, was born on May 24, 1972. I had such a great pregnancy and was so happy to be a mom; having a daughter was a special bonus since everyone predicted a boy. Back in the day, we didn't know the gender until the baby was born...can you imagine?

Today my baby girl celebrates her 40th Birthday! I wish we could be there, but we did send some pretty cool surprises...like the personalized M&Ms that we had her open early.

1972 ~ My Baby Girl & Me

I don't have to tell any of you how fast time seems to get away from us after having children; then it accelerates to warp speed when the grands come along. I could have posted a photo of her taken each year of her life but the point of this post is to celebrate, not to be tedious.

1977 ~ Five Years Old

1987 ~ Fifteen Years Old

She graduated from high school in 1990 and it seemed like about ten minutes later it was 1994 and she was graduating with honors from California State University in Northridge.

1994 ~ 22 Years Old

1990 ~ 18 Years Old

By the time she was twenty-five she had completed her graduate degree at the University of Alabama; she and Shawn had married; and they had moved back to California where she began a successful career in her field.

1997 ~ Twenty Five Years Old

By the time she was thirty-five, she and Shawn had given us our three cherished grands and moved their family to Arizona for better educational and lifestyle opportunities.

2007 ~ Thirty Five Years Old

A special joy of retirement was getting to spend this past winter living near her and her family. We all got to spend so much treasured time together. This final photo was taken at our RV Park pool a couple of days before we left. This photo of that southwest hot weather lovin' girl of mine watching her precious children swim, with a palm tree in the near background is a favorite of mine. It captures so much of her personality and beauty.

March 26, 2012 ~ Almost Forty!

My immediate family has always brought me great joy, immense pride, and so much love